What does prisoner of birth mean?
I was reading a Jeffrey Archer novel of the same name, but couldn't figure out what this phrase really means.
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In the novel Danny is born into a poor family and is a garage mechanic by profession, whereas the plot's antagonists are from well to do backgrounds(a barrister, a popular actor, an aristocrat, and the youngest partner in an established firm). Eventually, Danny is framed for a murder he did not commit and is sentenced to prison. It was ultimately his word against four first-class citizens(who happen to be well educated and respected). Thus, the title "Prisoner of Birth" signifies that Danny's background was instrumental in him going to prison. He was not a prisoner due to a crime, rather due to his birth into a non-affluent and uninfluential family. |
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I haven't read the novel. So I do not know the context in which this is being used in it. But, for your information, this is a bit common in India. If a person is born a Harijan (one of the Indian castes), and wants to overcome the caste label, it's sort of impossible in villages. He would hence be a prisoner of birth. |
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